St Peter's school ground, York and the Root family in action at Headingley
Posted by Tony Hutton
Wednesday 15th July - the month of July seems to have taken over the monsoon mantle of last season and cricket watchers have spent most of the time dodging the showers, which have been quite torrential at times. Today was just such a day and we arrived at Shaw Lane, Barnsley for what should have been day one of a three day second eleven game between Yorkshire and Glamorgan.
Heavy overnight rain ruined any chance of a prompt start and when the announcement came that the players would take an early lunch and review the situation thereafter I decided to travel north to York where I knew three other games were scheduled. On the way out of the Barnsley ground I encountered none other than Brian Senior who had travelled there by train, but on hearing the news was glad to join me on a trip to York. A few minutes later as we joined the M1 motorway we thought we had made the right decision as we passed through a torrential downpour which was to prevent any play at Barnsley that day.
We made for St Peters School where it was day three of the Yorkshire Senior Schools festival.
Brian had been there yesterday and seen the Yorkshire Schools loose to Leicestershire Academy in a high scoring game. Today Derbyshire Academy were the visitors and on arrival we were told play would start at 1 p.m.. with a reduction in overs from 50 to 40 per side.
If play had not been possible here we could have gone to nearby Stamford Bridge where Yorkshire's under 17 side were playing or to Escrick Park where Yorkshire Gentlemen were entertaining yet another Australian touring side. However with cricket possible here we stayed put at St Peters. The home side, which included several players from Huddersfield New College who we had seen earlier in the month made a good score of 217-8 although never really on top of the bowling.
The Derbyshire side's batting proved not up to the occasion and they lost rather heavily being bowled out for only 101. Full credit to the Yorkshire schools side who bowled and fielded well and looked to have a good team spirit.
Brian and I were delighted to meet up with an old friend of ours, George Abbey from Bradford, who is to this day almost the custodian of the old Bradford Park Avenue ground, which although almost derelict is still in use for club cricket. George despite being well into his eighties was in good form and enjoyed long conversations with both Arnie Sidebottom, who coached the Yorkshire Academy in their time at Park Avenue, and with Richard Hutton who is involved in the ownership of the ground through his connections with the charity which bears his father's name.
Thursday 16th July - back to Barnsley for day two of the Yorkshire v Glamorgan second eleven game. This time we are in luck and get just about a full day's play. Yet another connection with the old Park Avenue day's as Glamorgan's captain for this match was Alex Wharf who played for the Academy at Bradford and later Yorkshire's first team briefly before moving on to Notts and then Glamorgan.
Yorkshire's youngsters Joe Root and Charlie Roebuck stole the show with 80 and 73 respectively and helped by South African wicketkeeper Brophy, returning after a finger injury with 54, took Yorkshire to a respectable total of 310-7. The day was not without humour for the good sized and knowledgeable crowd.
Most of this was provided by the two umpires Jakeman and Malone who had a height difference of about a foot which meant that when they conferred about the weather late in the day Jakeman had to look a long way upwards. Someone suggested he was asking what the weather was like up there. In addition when the umpires were asked to change the ball, Mr Malone shouted to someone in the crowd to bring on the box of balls with the words 'It's behind you', only for the crowd to take up the refrain, until someone else shouted 'Oh no it isn't'. So the pantomime season came to Barnsley early this year.
The next day was again wiped out totally by heavy rain - a great pity for the hard working Barnsley groundsmen and officials. There always seems to be plenty of people to help out and of course always the chance of a celebrity visitor at Barnsley. Last season we had Geoffrey Boycott visit the county second XI match. This season we had former football league referee, Trelford Mills, who is a vice-president, serving our coffee.
Sunday 19th July - again showery conditions prevailed, but thanks to a sterling effort from the groundsmen at Headingley (not always the case for Academy games) the Yorkshire League cup semi-final with Sheffield Collegiate did get finished on the day despite a rather late finish.
A rather small but select crowd of spectators had gathered to see the Yorkshire Academy win the toss and bat against a Sheffield Collegiate side who are sadly no longer the force they once were. The highlight of this game was a superb innings from the young Zimbabwean born batsman Gary Ballance, who came to Yorkshire via Derbyshire and Harrow School. Indeed he scored a century at Lord's for Harrow against Eton
Today he tore the Collegiate attack to pieces with an unbelievable innings of 236 not out in 50 overs out of a total of 357-1 by the Yorkshire Academy. His opening partner, the even younger Joe Root, who started his career with today's opponents, made 85 out of an opening stand of 296. Ballances' innings contained 24 fours and 10 sixes, no mean feat on a wicket almost in the centre of the Headingley square.
Root's effort was no doubt made better for him in that the Collegiate side not only included his father, but his younger brother Billy, who has already made a century for the the Yorkshire Academy against Ireland 'A'. So obviously a very talented family, but not I am told related to the famous Fred Root of pre-war days, who played for Derbyshire and Worcestershire.
So young Billy Root, who is left-handed unlike his brother. opened the innings in reply He made only 18 before being bowled by his brother, but showed plenty of promise for the future. It will be good to see them batting together soon. Father Matt must not be forgotten as he made a valiant 34 out of a spirited reply which was never going to overtake such a large total. So 202-8 in the 50 overs was respectable, but the Academy go through to the final to meet the winners of Scarborough and York.
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